December 29, 2016

On Resolutions | #CapturedInWords

When it comes to making resolutions, there have been many in my time but I'm not convinced that I've completed a single one. 'Learn Spanish' has come up many a time y no hablo Español (at least not fluently).

That's the thing though, learning a language is only measurable by a yes/no answer: 'kind of' doesn't suffice, and so I often feel that with resolutions, we set ourselves up for failure.

Last year, I decided to try something new. A series of occurrences - well, mainly one actually - had quite fiercely challenged me and, as the winter set in, I knew I was about to embark on a prolonged period of introspection that I could quite easily get lost within.

So, I drew up three 'pillars', accompanied by three small crystals I'd bought from a shop in Canterbury. They were:

Positive | Challenge | Healing

Whatever came my way in 2016, these were my anchors. Broad enough to embrace most contexts, but specific enough to qualities I wanted to harness. I put the crystals in my pocket because I knew this was a place that I'd put my hands every day.

Every time that I found them, they were a reminder of one - or all three - of my pillars. And all I can tell you is that they repeatedly rescued me (once quite literally), beckoning a different perspective of what I had got caught up in feeling, or thinking.

What's more, by being somewhat immeasurable, I can look back at 2016 and see that there's no 'yes', or no 'no' to this activity; just the impression that I did the best that I could, steering against mirrors that I had deliberately placed for myself.

As 2017 approaches, I'm looking for three new pillars. I think they will be:

Listen | Principle | Play

It's interesting (to me at least!) that in 10-years time, I could have close to 30-crystals - marking chapters of my life and growth. I imagine that some might get heavier use than others, such is human nature in repeating mistakes until we either learn from them, or face them and laugh.

I've spent a lot of this year trying not to write directly about myself on this little corner of mine, but I wanted to share this, be it of any use to you, as it has been to me.